Pain in the lower back or low back pain is a common concern, affecting most of the people at some point in lifetime. Strain in the lumbar muscle is one of the most common causes of back pain especially in the lower back. Often, back pain is actually a symptom of something that you can control, like your activity level or the way you sit in your chair at work. Though there are other causes as well, most cases of back pain can be resolved

Reasons:

· Obese people experience back pain frequently. The pain is felt in the neck and lower back. Weight loss can help in reducing this type of back pain.

· Sleeping Posture: The position and surface on which one sleeps may cause back pain, such as hard surfaces and mattresses. The soft surface tends to put strain on the spine. Some positional changes can reduce this type of back pain.

· Injury to the back may happen from an accident or a torn rotator calf in the shoulder. During accidents the body receives large amount of energy or shock within a small period that damages the muscles, tendons and ligaments.

· Faulty postures and poor body mechanics will cause lower back pain and be at least partially attributed to these faults.

Do’s:

· Have a break at regular intervals and do stretching exercises like neck rolls, chin tucks, cupping head in hands behind the head and extension exercises.

· Back pain can be caused by sitting in an improper position for a prolonged period of time. Maintaining a good and straight posture, using ergonomically designed chairs.

· Standing: keeping one foot forward of the other, with knees slightly bent, takes the pressure off your low back.

· Avoid taking pain or anti-inflammatory medication when in pain from using a computer. This will serve to mask the symptoms but can lead to serious injury or permanent nerve damage in the long term.

· Yoga and meditation is considered to be beneficial not only in back pain but also improves your posture and plays a vital role in a treatment for back pain.

· Heat therapy: Apply heat to your aching back by using a hot compress, a dry or moist heating pad, or hydrotherapy (hot bath). Heat therapy can help decrease muscle spasms, relax tense muscles, relieve pain, and can increase range of motion.

· The best position for relief when your back hurts is to lie on your back on the floor with pillows under your knees, with your hips and knees bent and your feet on a chair or just with your hips and knees bent. This takes the pressure and weight off your back.

Don’ts:

· Do not slouch in front of the computer or lie in bed and work on a laptop.

· Do not ignore back twinges and back pain, hoping that the problem will resolve itself.

· Do not sit on one leg or sit with legs crossed as this causes additional strain to the back.

· Do not perch a laptop on the lap and stare down at the screen - this places extra strain on the neck, spine and arms.

· If you are a smoker, quitting smoking can benefit your health in many different ways and will reduce your risk of future back pain.

Choosing healthy food is important for your physical and mental health. Improve your mood naturally with more nutritious food choices. Food choices affect your mood, ability to concentrate and energy level. There has been more research to show how food does affect your mental health.

The psychological relationship between people and food is significant. For example, when people have tea or coffee, they may also socialize with friends, which may result in positive feelings. Such interactions are important to account for when considering how mood and food are connected.

A Quick Guide to a healthy, balanced diet:

· Exercise: The healing effect of exercise on the mind is truly astonishing. Regular exercise can reduce stress, increase self-esteem and improve your mood. Exercise for 30 minutes three to five days a week to significantly decrease symptoms of depression.

· Drink more water: Drinking more water can mollify several health maladies and depression is no exception. Dehydration has been linked to anger, fatigue and confusion. Cut your body weight in half; that is how many ounces of water you should drink each day. (Example: Someone who is 200 pounds should drink 100 ounces of water a day.) Not only will this help your mind feel balanced, it will do wonders for your physical health.

· Regular meals: Missing meals, especially breakfast, leads to low blood sugar and this causes low mood, irritability and fatigue. If you feel hungry between meals you may need to include a healthy snack eg. fruit, nuts and cereals.

· Refined foods: East fewer high sugar foods and more wholegrain cereals, nuts, beans, lentils, fruit and vegetables. Sugary foods are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. This may cause an initial ‘high’ or surge of energy that soon wears off as the body increases its insulin production, leaving you feeling tired and low. Wholegrain cereals, pulses, fruit and vegetables are more filling and, because the sugar in these food is absorbed more slowly, don’t cause mood swings.

· Protein in your diet: Include protein at every meal to ensure a continuous supply of the amino acid tryptophan to the brain. You can ensure your brain gets a regular supply of tryptophan by including at least one good sized portion of protein at each meal ie. meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, beans, lentils (dhal), or a meat substitute such as textured vegetable protein or mycoprotein.

· Weight: Both excessive weight loss or weight gain can make your mood worse and should be avoided. Weight loss and lack of good nutrition will deprive the brain of glucose and the other nutrients that control mood.

· Healthy Fats: Unsaturated fats provide the fatty acids essential for brain function, a healthy heart, a strong immune system, and supple skin. Good sources of unsaturated fats include fish, nuts, olives, olive and corn oils, and avocados. An average adult should consume 5 to 7 teaspoons of unsaturated fats per day.

· Good sleep: Your mind and body will feel better if you sleep well. Your body needs time every day to rest and heal. For adults, 7-9 hours of sleep is essential in a day. If your sleep is frequently interrupted or cut short, you're not getting quality sleep which might disturb your mental well being.

· Reduce caffeine: If you’re a coffee junkie, you may not realize the effects caffeine has on your body system. However, you can reduce your stress levels and improve your mental performance throughout the day if you gradually wean yourself off of large amounts of caffeine.

HONEY, a most assimilable carbohydrate compound, is a very much acceptable, practical and most effective aliment to create and replace energy. It has long been used as a health aid. Honey by nature is a antibacterial and antimicrobial. Hydrogen Peroxide is naturally produced by the enzymes contained in honey. This makes honey good for medicinal purposes.

Sweetener:
Sugar can be substituted with honey in many food and drinks. Honey contains about 69% glucose and fructose enabling it to be used as a sweetener.

Energy Source:
It contains about 64 calories per tablespoon. Hence honey is also used by many as a source of energy. On the other hand, one tablespoon of sugar will give you about 15 calories. Further the carbohydrates in the honey can be easily converted into glucose by even the most sensitive stomachs. Hence it is very easy to digest honey.

Weight Loss: Though honey has more calories than sugar, honey when consumed with warm water helps in digesting the fat stored in your body. Similarly honey and lemon juice and honey and cinnamon help in reducing weight.

Energy booster: Honey is an excellent ergogenic aid and helps in boosting the performance of athletes. Honey facilitates in maintaining blood sugar levels, muscle recuperation and glycogen restoration after a workout. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy.

Source of Vitamins and Minerals: Honey contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. The type of vitamins and minerals and their quantity depends on the type of flowers used for apiculture. Commonly, honey contains Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron.

Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties: Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and hence it can be used as a natural antiseptic.

Antioxidants: Amongst the many health benefits of honey, what is most impressive– it can be a powerful immune system booster. It contains nutraceuticals, which are effective in removing free radicals from our body. Honey’s antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease.

Skin Care with Milk and Honey: Milk and honey are often served together as both these ingredients help in getting a smooth soothing skin. Hence consuming milk and honeydaily in the morning is a common practice in many countries.

Honey in Wound Management: It speeds up the healing process by stimulating wound tissues and also helps in initiating the healing process in dormant wounds. Honey also helps in promoting moist wound healing.
Supports blood formation: Honey provides an important part of the energy needed by the body for blood formation. In addition, it helps in cleansing the blood. It has some positive effects in regulating and facilitating blood circulation.

Good Remedy: For stomach ulcers, gastritis, dyspepsia and sore throats, 1-2 teaspoons on an empty stomach (½ hour before meals), 1-4 times a day to assist in healing and provide pain relief.